There can be no greater gift, than the gift of dharma
The Big View | Wonderful site on Philosophy, with pages devoted to Buddhism, Greek Philosophy, Tao Te Ching, Mind & Consciousness, Space & Time, Past Life Analysis, Essays on philosophy, science, spirituality and other topics from various authors.
On Buddhism in particular, for me, this site holds the most succinct and basic of the Buddha’s Teachings with 9 Sections: About Buddhism, The Life of Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, The Precepts, Karma & Rebirth, Emptiness, Meditation, Symbols, The Dhammapada.
The Dhammapada
The Dhammapada, an anthology of 423 verses, is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. The original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.
Each saying recorded in the collection was made on a different occasion in response to a unique situation that had arisen in the life of the Buddha and his monastic community. His commentary, the Dhammapada Atthakatha, presents the details of these events and is a rich source of legend for the life and times of the Buddha. In my opinion, it is advisable to gain some understanding of the Four Noble Truths & The Noble Eightfold Path before one will be able to appreciate this “Treasury of Truth”.
The Dhammapada via Tipitaka.net | Stories & Verses
An Illustrated Version of the Dhammapada | Verses & Explanations
The Way of the Buddha: The Illustrated Dhammapada | Beautiful book via Amazon.com
Verse 1:
“All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner;
they have mind as their chief; they are mind-made.
If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, ‘dukkha’ follows him
just as the wheel follows the hoofprint of the ox that draws the cart.”
Podcasts – This is how I began learning:
Zencast.org | Weekly podcast on the teachings of the Buddha, available free of charge via the Insight Meditation Center (also available on iTunes)
Audio Dharma | Daily podcasts from reknowned Buddhist teachers (also available on iTunes)
Alan Watts | One of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century (also available one at a time, weekly on iTunes)
Alan Watts – The Essential Lectures for $34.99
My Favorite Books on Buddhist Philosophy (via Amazon):
- Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha’s Path by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
- The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
- In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha: An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book by Daniel M. Ingram
- The Way of Zen by Alan W. Watts
- Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki
- The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler
- Many books by Pema Chodron
- Many books by Jack Kornfield
- Zen Habits: Handbook For Life by Leo Babauta
- Tiny Buddha, Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions by Lori Deschene
More On-Line Resources:
What The Buddha Said in Plain English | Beautiful & extensive site with a section of Dhamma Drops, many pages filled with tiny drops of the Buddha’s Wisdom.
Access To Insight | Modern translations of more than 1,000 important suttas from the Pali canon. Search by topic.
The Six Different Schools of Buddhism | Wikipedia
Buddha Net | Wonderful library of free ebooks & educational resources, plus a daily readings calendar.
View on Buddhism | Lot’s of resources including a Where to Begin Page, including what do I tell my family and friends.
Buddha Sutra | A very complete collection of Sutras (Buddha’s First Sutra is bookmarked)
Buddhism.org | Good directory of centers by state
Buddhism.org | Listing of some of Buddha’s most popular Sutras
Tipitaka.net | A bulletin board of daily Buddhist related news and and goodhearted stories
Vipassana.com | Meditation Resources (although do not sign up for the on-line course. I did not find it well designed or developed)
Lama Yesha | Site for the preservation of Mahayana Buddhism
Buddhist Studies at UC Berkeley
Buddhist Publication Society | extensive collection of on-line reading material
Beatrice Santorini’s Page w/ Lists
Excellent Page for Buddhist Morality Lists
Blogs on Buddhism which I’ve enjoyed:
Zen Habits | One of the top 25 blogs in the world. Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives.
Tiny Buddha | The site features tips and authentic stories from readers of all ages all over the globe.
Urban Dharma | Buddhism in America
The Blog of Leroy Watson | Riding effortlessly on a large green turtle (spirituality)
Some of my Favorite Readings & Teachings:
A Handbook for Mankind by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu | The Things We Cling To
